TED is leaving Monterey

After more than 20 years of hosting amazing conferences in Monterey, the folks that put on the annual TED conference (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) is moving its show to … (gasp) … Southern California!!??

That’s right, techies. The conference has gotten so popular — and so big — that the cozy confines of Cannery Row don’t cut it anymore.

After this year’s show — which runs from Feb. 27 through March 1 — the conference will reconvene next year in the seaside town of Long Beach.

“We scoured the entire U.S. for a new location that would give us some breathing room, while retaining all the qualities that made Monterey so special,” the TED announcement reads. “To our surprise and delight, we found the place we’re looking for … in Long Beach, California. The arts and cultural center there is absolutely perfect for our needs; after months of planning and dreaming, we’ve become convinced that it will make a spectacular long-term home for us. …”

While we’re sad to see the conference leave its intellectual roots here in Northern California, where its proximity to Silicon Valley helped make TED an annual must for the technology elite, it sounds like the new digs down south will be a good fit.

“At last year’s TED, we received clear feedback from many of you that we had simply outgrown the Monterey Conference Center,” the conference organizers wrote online. “With 1,300 people attending, and only 500 seats in the Main Hall, we were faced with long queues for the Main Hall and, on occasions, an unseemly crush. At the same time, we had to turn away hundreds of amazing potential attendees.”

Agreed. Long lines at conferences rank somewhere between the 8th and 9th circles of hell.

“We believed we could do better. At Long Beach, we found a theater that can accommodate all our attendees, but — and this is what has us so excited — it retains Monterey’s wonderful sense of intimacy and energy.” (The theater in question appears to be the Terrace Theater, for those of you know who know the LB scene.)

Not so sure Long Beach compares with Monterey, but that’s a regional dispute for us lesser-minded types.

For those attending the 24th anniversary TED this year in Monterey, I guess this will make the event even more memorable. Stay tuned to The Tech Chronicles for updates on this year’s speaker list.